So the Geeks Inherited the Earth. Now What?
Or: (Confession) Why I’m Glad I Left the Frontline When I Did
If you know me, you probably know what I used to do.
I had the very best job, in the very place, for the very best time. I both fronted and celebrated the growth of the geek as they inherited the earth, starting at ‘just out of the closet’ in 2003, all the way to the peak in 2020, and I ran promotions and events for fans, authors, artists, creators and celebrities, from small names to world-breaking ones, across a multitude of formats.
It was a good time.
In the last four years, though, it’s seemed me that geek culture has entered a different phase, now tumbling down the far side of its own heady heights. Star Wars, Marvel, D&D, gaming, even SFF publishing, all the things that I spent so long celebrating, now languish at the mercy of big business. They’re out of the closest, all right, and something in me thinks we should still celebrate that (because hey, we just didn’t have this stuff, growing up), yet they’re being hammered by the rise of AI, and by a merciless demand for quarterly profits, meaning that all they do is repeat the same content, over and over and over and over, because that’s what guarantees the monies.
Somewhere, everything we love is having its creativity hollowed out. It’s forgetting that the best ideas start from something different and leftfield. That Star Wars was a niche little movie. That Star Trek very nearly didn’t get made. That Iron Man remains one of the best Marvel films. That ttrpgs are all about making shit up. That SFF publishing is called ‘speculative fiction’ for a reason, and that its mid-list brings diversity. And that not everyone wants to read, or watch, endless sodding nudges of the same content.
However, all is not lost.
After a year working for Handiwork (seeing the beautiful ttrpg content they produced), and then starting with the Manga at Waterstones Piccadilly, I’ve realised that there’s hope. Not in the big stuff, the stuff that’s being flogged to death (though Marvel have recently scaled back their output schedule, so they must be realising, and the recent debacle with Sony and Helldivers is definitely worth a look), but in the little things. The small-pub, indie stuff, the books, games and comics that still fly the flags of creative individualism. These are the places where originality still lives, and they’re the things we should support, preferably before they get lost in a tide of AI garbage.
Hugh Howey’s Wool started off as an indie title, as did Andy Weir’s The Martian. Check out some of the top-notch small publishers in the UK: Flame Tree, NewCon, Elsewhen. Juliet McKenna’s award-winning work at Wizard’s Tower, and Simon Morden’s Fell Book Press.
There’s also the rise of Manga.
I’ve talked about its history before, and in my two and half years at Waterstones, I’ve watched it grow and grow, bringing an audience that spans multiple different ages and demographics, and titles that just keep expanding into new and different content.
If you’re looking for a jumping-on point, try Cat + Gamer by Wataru Nadatani, Uzumaki by Junji Ito, Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama, Way of the Househusband by Kousuke Oono, or (duh) Akira, by Katshuhiro Otomo.
Plus, check out some of the WEBTOON releases, now in print: Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe, Everything is Fine, by Mike Birchall, The Remarried Empress by Alphatart and Sumpul, or Omniscient Readers Viewpoint by singNsong and Sleepy-C.
All of this has restored my faith in those inheriting geeks, and has put me back where I’m happiest, believing in something that’s growing, embracing change and new ideas. And it means that I can still do what matters: working with things that aren’t being eaten alive by the drive for profit. Things still need to make the monies, of course they do, but they also need room for innovation, and for originality.
Because that’s where stuff takes root, and grows.
Reading: Covenant Vol 1 by LySandra Vuong, a Webtoon adaptation dealing with warriors priests and nuns (yes, all right, I know), and which is so far quite dark. Am thoroughly enjoying it.
Watching: Delicious in Dungeon, a wonderful riff on the dungeoneering trope, and a celebration of how much the Japanese love their food. Also making me giggle like a loon, so highly recommended.
Playing: finally completed our Sigil D&D adventure last weekend, defeating the Iron Shadow and restoring both chaos and creativity to the planes of the Infinite Staircase. Kind of topical, really: too much order, too much authority, too much control, and stuff stagnating. A little chaos is a very necessary thing!